The present invention relates to grasping, transport, conveyance, coating, filling, topping and packaging apparatus, as well as grasping, transport, conveyance, coating, filling, topping and packaging methods for irregularly shaped articles and packages, such as for packaged food products as in the case of conical packages for ice cream confections and the like.
Irregularly shaped articles and packages present several problems in filling, conveyance and packaging in an industrial setting. For example, these articles are typically unbalanced and difficult to handle, whether by workers or by machinery. The weight imbalance of such articles also makes it difficult to design conveyance and packaging systems because the articles are not well suited to standard conveyance and packaging designs and protocols. Additionally, the irregular shape of such articles makes it more difficult for human hands or machinery to grasp them and repetitively, reliably, and safely transport them.
With specific regard to conical objects, such as cones, these objects have the disadvantage of having relatively little surface area upon which to apply a static or kinetic force in order to move the object in a balanced way, without the object turning on its side or otherwise precessing about its weight center. When such cones form a shell for a frozen confection or the like, there is often the added risk of breakage upon application of a force sufficient to securely grasp them.
One of the grasping methods currently used with confection cones involves piercing the cone, with or without the cone being in a paper wrapper, in order to provide for its transport to a conveyor or filling station. This grasping method often disadvantageously results in the fracture of the cone, or an otherwise less than perfect appearance to the product. With specific regard to frozen ice cream confections, these problems are multiplied by the need to move the package quickly and securely without undue force being applied thereto. Relatively rapid and safe movement is necessary to place the frozen cone confection in a package without allowing the product to warm, and without bringing to bear forces that might damage the confection shell, its contents, or any paper wrapper.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a carrier that can grasp a fragile cone while reducing the risk of fracture, and without causing any negative affect on final product appearance.
To this end, one aspect of the present invention is directed to apparatus and methods for grasping, transporting, and conveying irregularly-shaped articles, particularly frozen confections having frangible conical shells (frozen cone confections), wherein the articles can be grasped, transported, and conveyed without fracturing or otherwise damaging the frangible conical shell.
With respect to the manufacture of frozen cone confections, it is often desirable to provide a coating of the interior surfaces and/or the open end edge of the cones, such as with a chocolate or other confectionery coating. It is most advantageous to conduct this process with the cones in an inverted position. Hence, another aspect of the present invention includes a system and method for grasping, inverting, conveying, and inverting cones for frozen confections. A related aspect of the present invention is directed to coating the interior surfaces and/or the open end edge of these cones while they are in an inverted position.
Because the manufacture of frozen cone confections often requires multiple process steps, there are generally a plurality of manufacturing stations disposed along a frozen cone confection manufacturing line. Each manufacturing station is typically responsible for a particular manufacturing process step such as, for example, coating, filling, or topping. Normally, some delay, or dwell time, is required between each process step. For example, applying a chocolate coating to the interior surfaces and/or the open end edge of the cones is typically accomplished using chocolate of an elevated temperature (i.e., melted chocolate). While elevated temperatures are desirable for the coating process, they are undesirable for the filling process, which is normally the next process step to be performed. Therefore, in order to ensure that the cones are sufficiently cool so as not to melt the ice cream or other filling that has been added to the cones during the filling operation, a delay is provided between the coating and filling steps. A similar delay may be provided between the filling and topping operations, or between other process steps.
Sufficient delays (dwell times) may be accomplished by providing a predetermined conveying distance between process steps. However, once a typical manufacturing line is so constructed, it is difficult, if not impossible, to change. It can be understood that this is an undesirable situation because it severely limits the type and size of frozen confections that can be made, and inhibits the addition of other process steps. Thus, what is needed is a system and method that allows a manufacturing line to easily adapt to changing frozen confection designs or recipes.
Accordingly, yet another aspect of the present invention provides a frozen cone confection manufacturing system and method that offers flexibility in terms of the number and type of coating, filling and/or topping components. Many of these components will require variation in the order and timing of their dispensing, so as to obtain a final product of desirable quality in terms of the proper blending of fill components, the adhesion of toppings, and the overall appearance of the final confection. This aspect of the present invention allows for greater flexibility in the design and manufacture of frozen cone confections, as will be described in greater detail below.
Although described in terms of an apparatus and method for use with conical ice cream confection products, advantages of the present invention with respect to other applications may become apparent from the present disclosure or through practice of the invention.